Newfoundland nixes its tax on books

Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Finance and treasury board president Tom Osborne

After much controversy and outcry from the public, recently appointed Newfoundland and Labrador Finance Minister Tom Osborne has announced that he is eradicating the province’s book tax as part of a drastic review of its entire tax system. The review, to be completed by September 2018, will be led by an independent five-person committee. The book tax is slated be lifted in January 2018, pending federal government approval after a 120-day application process.

The 10 per cent harmonized sales tax on books was proposed in an April 2016 budget – the same time as a dramatic cut in library funding – and instated on Jan. 1, making the province the only one in Canada to charge HST on books.